Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater

He’s the newest superstar at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater – and he’s super speedy. That’s why we named him Rocket!

Tilli the aardvark is another hugely popular member of our summer show. As senior keeper Maureen O’Keefe puts it, “Aardvarks are one of those animals people always hear about but don’t often see.” Maybe that’s because they’re native to Africa, where their name means “earth pig.”

Like other aardvarks, Tilli has an incredibly long tongue – 12 inches – which she’d use in the wild to scoop up termites and ants. But in the Wild Wonders show she has another favorite food: vanilla yogurt. And like many actors, she’s very particular about the right brand and flavor.

You can also sometimes see Tilli walking around the Zoo with a keeper, meeting visitors.

Banyan is great at showing off his natural climbing abilities on stage, balancing with his super-long tail. In the wild (and even in our Asian Forest Sanctuary habitat) clouded leopards can be shy and extremely difficult to spot!

Gonzo is just one of our Southern tamanduas – his mate Terra shares his role in the show. Like all tamanduas Gonzo and Terra have the longest tongue in show-biz – a whopping 16 inches long – and they use it to great effect on stage. In the wild, this species of anteater uses that long tongue to probe and scoop out termites to eat.

Clark the king vulture is a pro at swooping down over audiences at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater. Occasionally, though, he’s just a bit too fond of the limelight, and doesn’t want to leave after his part is over. Then his trainers have to get creative, enticing him to make his grand exit with delicious treats, such as chicken, mouse, or ground meat.

Twiggy is another rock star in our show. A red-legged seriema, she’s fantastic at slamming her rubber lizard or frog repeatedly onto the stage, just as a seriema would kill prey in the wild. (They can also run up to 43 miles per hour!)

Backstage she’s curious, and with her long thin legs and striking good looks it’s easy to see how she got her name.

Caper has been a part of the Wild Wonders show since the very first show 19 years ago. During the show, guests will see Caper the macaw walk down a ramp, amble across a rope on a bridge, and fly to a keeper. When a keeper shows Caper two fingers, he presents his feathers. When a keeper shows the bird an open palm, he squawks. For each activity he does correctly, keepers reward him with a healthy treat like walnuts.

Fun Fact: The green wing macaw is often referred to as the “gentle giant” because of its calm disposition. It is the second largest macaw after the Hyacinth macaw.

Everybody loves Siesta, our sloth. He’s in most summer shows, demonstrating his natural talent for gripping and hanging upside down (useful for an animal that lives in trees). He’s easy-going, say our staff, but like any true star he can’t be hurried. Mostly, he just likes to hang around…

Forrest is our Eurasian eagle owl. During the show, Forrest will soar and swoop overhead from perch to perch.

Fun Facts: The Eurasian eagle owl is one of the largest owls. They have remarkably brilliant orange eyes, mottled brown feathers, feathered feet, and conspicuously tufted ears which point out to the sides. Eagle owls found in the deserts are generally lighter in color than those found in the forests.

Celine & Mona Lisa are our African giant pouched rats. They live behind the scenes at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater, where they regularly appear on stage and around the zoo in Close Encounters to tell guests about their amazing species. In a specially made box of sand they demonstrate their exceptional detection powers – and also their adorable furry cuteness.

Our domestic chickens Gershwin and Chopin aren’t like typical composers – they steal the show when they stampede tutti (that’s “all together” in music-speak) across the stage.

Why the names? Just for fun, say Wild Wonders staff.

Meet Walnut our North American beaver. During the show, guests will see Walnut enjoy a dip in his private pool and enjoy an apple as a reward. Beavers in the wild swim all the time, so we give Walnut and his beaver family access to their very own swimming pool!

Meet Wasabi the skunk. Wasabi loves cockroaches and his big exercise wheel.

During the show, guests will see Wasabi push and roll his puzzle feeder across the stage. Because skunks can be shy, Wasabi sometimes needs a lot of positive reinforcement (plenty of treats) during training.

Meet Ruby our Abyssinian Ground Hornbill. Hornbills are found in sub-Saharan Africa north of the equator from Gambia to Nigeria, Somalia, Uganda and central Kenya, in woodland, savanna, and arid steppe habitats.

Ruby is really curious, she likes to pick things apart with her beak or hammer them to smithereens if being delicate doesn’t work.

Even though Ruby is a ground hornbill, apparently nobody told her that, because she loves to fly! When we discovered that about her, we started teaching her to fly in the theater so she could stretch her wings.

Meet Sheldon our serval. Like all cats, Sheldon likes to lounge around. He has a hammock inside he likes to relax in and loves laying in the tall grass outside.

Fun Facts: The serval is one of seven species of small to medium-sized African cats. It has a slender build with a small head, long neck, a short tail, large erect ears, and long legs. Its back legs are longer than its front legs. In proportion to its body, the serval has the longest legs in the cat family, enabling it to peer over tall vegetation to find prey.

Our lynx, Jasper arrived at PDZA when he was 3.5 weeks old. Jasper loves to play hide and seek with his keepers. He will hide and then pop out when he thinks you aren’t looking. During the show, Jasper shows off his enormous paws as he walks across the stage, jumps on a stump, and scratches a log with a mystical scent on it.

Tahoma is the queen of the show. She doesn’t need to do much except look beautiful – and she’s great at that. But as a bald eagle, Tahoma’s more than just a pretty face. She’s also an icon: a symbol of a species once near-extinction that humans helped to save.

You know Herald, he’s a pro and knows just what he needs to do. He’s also pretty laid back to work with, say our staff, – every director’s dream. Herald used to be the star of the show, but now he’s very excited to share the stage with Rocket and instead make unforgettable cameos.